Window-sash-operating device.



PYATENTED JUNE 27, 1905.

0. M. COLHOUN.

WINDOW SASH OPERATING DEVICE.

APPLICATION FILED MAR 28, 1905.

Ill!!!)lllll llllll Inventor RNN 7k;- ljitnesses Attorney Patented June 27, 1905.

PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES M. (JOLHOUN, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

WlNDOW-SASH-OPERATING DEVICE.

SPECIFICATION forming part Of Letters Patent N0. 793,058, dated June 27, 1905.

Application filed March 28,1905. Serial No- 252,456.

To (all whom, it 771.507 concern.-

Be it known that 1, CHARLES H. (lonnoniv, a citizen of the United States, residing at Philadelphia, in the county of Philadelphia and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in \Vindow- Sash-Operating Devices, of which the following is a specification.

The invention to be hereinafter described relates to closure-operating devices, and more particularly to such mechanism as applied to operate window-sashes by means of a motor fluid under control of the operative.

\Vindow-sashcs, doors, and other forms of closures are usually provided with counterbalancing weights, springs, or other forms of devices for sustaining the weight of the closure, while its movement is usually secured through separate means both to open and close the same.

It is the object of the present invention to provide a fluid-operating closure device that will at once serve to move the closure to its desired position and when in such position to maintain it there. The objects thus generally stated are particularly desirable in car-window closures or sashes or in the heavy sash structures of large buildings where the weight of the sash is a desideratum and the force necessary to operate it is large, and while the invention is particularly adapted to such structures it is to be understood that it may be advantageously employed wherever a closure such as a sash, door, or the likc has a sliding movement.

\Vith these general objects in view and without attempting to enumerate them all at this time, the invention consists of the fluidcontrolled closure-operating devices, as will hereinafter be fully described, and the parts and combinations that will be definitely set forth in the claims.

In the drawings, Figure 1, in general front elevation with some of the parts broken away, shows one embodiment of the invention as applied to operate a window-sash. Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional view through one side edge of the sash and window-framing on line :r .r, Fig. 3. Fig. 3 is a section on line y 1 of Fig.

Fig. 4c is a sectional detail of the controlling-valve on line 4: 4:, Fig. 6. Fig. 5 is a sectional detail of the valve at right angles to that of Fig. 4: on line 5 5 of Fig. 6. Fig. 6is a horizontal section of the valve.

Referring to the embodiment of the invention shown in the drawings, A represents any usual frame surrounding the usual opening for a window or door, and sliding in this framing is a sash A, which in the illustration may be regarded as of the usual character found on railway-trains, although of course any desired form of sash or framing may be employed. In Fig. 1, for instance, the framing for a sash is represented as having substantially the same size as the sash itself, an opening A being provided above the framing in the car structure for receiving the sash as it is moved into its open position.

Secured to the side edges of the sash, preferably by being countersunk in such side edges, as shown by Fig. 2, is the cylinder B, the upper end of which is closed air-tight by plug Z), secured to the cylinder in a suitable manner, as by being screw-threaded thereto. The cylinders B thus countersunk in the edges of the sash are preferably provided with side flanges 7/, which may be secured to the side portions of the sash by means of screws or other and suitable fastening devices 6 (See Fig. 3.) In order to constitute the usual guideway for the sash between the parting-strips 7) of the framing A, the flanges bare preferably extended to the opposite side of the cylinder, as at 7), thus constituting guides to run between the parting-strips. It is obvious, of course, that other forms of construction may be employed within the spirit of the present invention in securing the cylinders B to the side edges of the sash, the essentials in this respect being that the cylinder shall be suitably secured to the sash and extend substantially to the lower edge thereof, as shown in Fig. 2.

Rigidly secured to the window-sill A are the stand-pipes U, one at each side of the window-sill and extending upward into the cylinders B. These stand-pipes C are of sufficient length to permit the window-sash to be raised its full extent without withdrawing the upper ends of such stand-pipes from the cylinders B, and such stand-pipes C are of suflicient size and diameter to sustain the full, weight of the window-sash when raised. This characteristic of the stand-pipes is of importance, since, as will hereinafter appear, when the sash is raised the weight thereof is sustained largely through the stand-pipes themselves, and to secure sufflcient rigidity thereof to perform their function in this respect the stand-pipes may be braced at their lower ends, as by the bracing-plates A*.

In the construction shown in Fig. 2 the stand-pipes U are provided with elbow-joints C at their lower ends, which connect them with the branch pipes C through which the motor fluid employed for operating the sash is admitted to the stand-pipes C and cylinders B by means of the hand-controlled valve to be hereinafter described.

It will be noted that the stand-pipes C are of somewhat less diameter than the internal diameters of the cylinders B; but of course this is not essential, and at the upper end each of these cylinders is provided with a cap 0, formed of yielding material, preferably such as leather or the like, by which an air-tight joint may be secured between the surface of the cylinders and stand-pipes. The caps c are secured to the heads of the stand-pipes C by means of a screw-plug or equivalent device, which may be screw-threaded, as at 0 into the head of the stand-pipes, a washer 0 being interposed between the head of the screw-plug 0 and the inturned flange-cap c to properly secure the same in position. The screw-plug c is provided with a small open port or passage-way 0*, which is of a size to properly control the rate of admission and discharge of the fluid into the upper part of the cylinders B, and thereby control also the rate of rise and fall of the window-sash. By making this open port or passage-way of suitable diameter the sash may be permitted to rise and fall, due to the admission and exhaustion of fluid to the upper part of the cylinders 7), at a rate to suit the surrounding circumstancesas, for instance, the weight of the sash.

Disposed in convenient position for ready manipulation-as, forinstance, below the window-sill A is a controlling-valve, (designated as a whole by the letter D,) the purpose of such valve being to control the admission and exhaust of fluid under pressure to the standpipes at either side of the window sash through branch pipes C and its construction is such that upon being manipulated in one direction, as will presently appear, the motor fluid from a suitable source of supply is admitted equally to each of the stand-pipes, and when further manipulated the supply of motor fluid may be cut off to thereby hold the sash in its raised position and when further manipulated to thereby permit the exhaust of the fluid from the stand-pipes and cylinders to permit the sash to be lowered, all of which will presently appear. As one form of valve that may conveniently be employed for the purposes mentioned attention is directed to Figs. 5 and 6, wherein the valve D is shown as a circular casing (Z, provided with a suitable cap at cl and a bottom wall (Z WVithin this casing and raised upon the upper surface of the bottom wall (Z is a valve-disk (Z carried by a central stud or pivot (Z to the lower end of which is secured an operating-handle d for turning the valve-disk, as desired. This disk is provided with supply-ports 03, extending therethrough and adapted to register with ports (Z in the lower wall of the casing which connect with the branch pipes. C Connected to the casing above the valvedisk (Z is the supply-pipe D, through which motor fluid of any desired character is supplied from a suitable source. The lower wall (Z of the val ve-casing is provided with exhaust-openings (Z diametrically disposed, and the under surface of the valve-disk is provided, as shown in Figs. 5 and 6, with circularly-curved grooves (Z which will permit the motor fluid which may pass into such circular grooves to be carried to the exhaustopenings or ports (Z From the construction I have described it will be apparent that with the operating-handle d" in the position shown in Fig. 6 motor fluid above the valve-disk will pass through the supply ports d through the ports (Z into the branch pipes C and from there pass into the stand-pipes at either side of the sash, the pressure of the fluid then causing it to still further travel through the open port or passage-way 0* in the plug at the end of the stand pipe, and thus raise the sash. When the sash has been sufliciently raised, the handle (Z may be moved to its central positionthat is, between the full and dotted line positions in Fig. 6-at which time the valve-disk (Z will be moved to disconnect ports CZ and (Z and the sash be held in its raised position as long as desired. l/Vhen, however, it is desired to lower the sash, the handle (Z is moved to its dotted position, Fig. 6, whereupon the curved grooves (Z on the under surface of the valvedisk are brought into register with the ports (Z leading from the branch pipes 0 such curved groove being at the same time in register withthe exhaust-ports d whereupon the fluid contained in the stand-pipes and cylinders B will be permitted to exhaust, thereby allowing the sash to gently fall.

It will be obvious, of course, that the Valve D may be disposed in various positions with relation to the window and its sash, so as to be in convenient operative relation with the connected parts; but in the illustration it is shown centrally disposed with respect to the window-framing, and the end only of the handle (Z projects beyond the framing A. It will likewise be obvious that the supply of motor fluid may be taken either direct from a generator or from a storage-tank or other means, which, as they do not form detail parts of the present disclosure and are well known to those skilled in the art, need not be more definitely described. It will be evident also that the general subject of the invention may be applied to various closure devices and that the parts may be modified within wide limits without departing from the spirit of the invention.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is*

1. In a window-sash-operating device, the combination of the framing, a sash mounted to rise and fall in said framing, a cylinder secured to the sash at each side thereof, a standpipe secured to the framing and entering each of said cylinders, a valve and means for operating said valve to admit and exhaust motor fluid with respect to said stand-pipes and cylinders, or to maintain the fluid in said parts to hold the sash in desired raised position.

2. In a window-sash-operating device, the combination of the opening, a sash mounted to rise and fall in said framing, a cylinder secured to the sash at each side thereof, a standpipe secured to the framing and entering each of said cylinders to support the sash when raised, a head on each of said stand-pipes having a restricted open port or passage-way, a valve, and means for operating said valve to admit and exhaust motor fluid with respect to said stand-pipes and cylinders, or to maintain the fluid in said parts to hold the sash in any desired position.

3. In a device of the character described, the combination of a window-frame, a sash mounted to rise and fall in said frame, a cylindersecured to each side of said sash, a standpipe supported by the frame and entering each of said cylinders, and adapted to support the sash when raised, a valve for controlling the admission and exhaust of motor fluid to the cylinders and stand-pipes, a restricted and open port or passage-way establishing communication between the interior of the standpipes and cylinders to control the speed of fall of the sash, when the valve is in position to exhaust the motor fluid.

4c. In a device of the character described, the combination of a window-frame, a sash mounted to rise and fall in said frame, a cylinder secured to each side of said sash, a standpipe supported by the frame and entering each of said cylinders, and adapted to support the sash when raised, a valve having communicating connections with each of said stand-pipes, means to operate said .valve to admit motor fluid to said stand-pipes, to exhaust the fluid therefrom, or to maintain the fluid in said pipes and cylinders to hold the sash in raised position.

5. In a device of the character described, the combination of a window-frame, a sash movable up and down between the partingstrips and provided with a cylinder at each edge, a stand-pipe secured to the frame and extending into each cylinder, said stand-pipes having a cap or head, a restricted open port or passage-way establishing a communication between the interior of the stand-pipes and cylinders, a valve, branch pipes connecting the valve with each of the stand-pipes, said valve comprising a valve-disk and means to move said disk to control the admission and exhaust of motor fluid, or to maintain motor fluid in the stand-pipes and cylinders to hold the sash in raised position.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

CHARLES M. COLHOUN.

WVitnesses:

GEORGE M. KELLEY, CIIARLns K. PIOKLES. 

